Excess weight, liver failure and cancer

Liver is one of our most important organs with various function including detoxification, protein synthesis, production of biochemicals for digestions.  We cannot live without a liver.  Many causes can lead to liver failure such as too much alcohol, infection (hepatitis), autoimmune, etc. 

 

Now we learn that overweight/ obesity may also leads to some liver disease as well as liver failure.   When we eat too much, much of the excess calories are deposited in the liver as fatty liver.  These fatty liver destroy the liver gradually.  In some cases, cirrhosis due to fatty liver deposition leads to liver cancer  (hepatocellular carcinoma). 

The diagnosis is usually started with symptoms of liver disease such as weakness, nausea, jaundice (yellow skin/ sclera).   Your doctor may start the work up with blood tests to check liver enzymes and hepatitis virus screening tests.   Ultrasound and xray may then be used next.  The ultimate diagnosis is by liver biopsy.

Unfortunately, the prevalence of fatty liver disease is increasing from 5.5% (in 1999) to 9.8% (2004), 11% (between 2005-8).   Fatty liver is accounting up to 75% of chronic liver disease.

The main treatment is to lose weight and avoidance of alcohol as well as any other foods/medicines that could hurt the liver.    In some cases, liver transplant may be needed.

It is very hard to lose weight.  But this fatty liver disease increases my concern of people not knowingly hurting themselves by excess calorie.  Those extra donuts, mints, candies, cookies, etc actually could hurt us!  Please look at my past blogs about losing weight.  It is so important to get to a healthy weight.  It is worth it to lose weight and becoming healthier because each one of you is so worth it.

Reference

Sheth SG, et al.  Epidemiology, clinical features and diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in adults.  Uptodate  accessed 5-18-13